Fastening device



15 ily to one article, and which-will remain in selfthe bolt is inserted, wherefore, the connection may 15 30 wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a blank of the form illustrated in Fig. 1, such means comprise 30 ,45 the position thereof with respect to the parts to opening in the part IE to be joined that the nor- Patented Dec. 26 1939 I SE? W 2,184,783 msranme nnvroa George A. 'Tinnerman, Rocky River, Ohio, assign- V or to Albert E. Tinnerman, Cleveland, Ohio Application October 14. 1936, Serial No. 105.502.

" lei-hm. ems-s2) This invention relates to fastening devices that bolt is inserted therein, and Fig. 1 are adapted to be used with a bolt for connecting section through a fastener after a bolthas been two parts together. The present invention is parinserted therethrough. 1' ticularly adaptable for .use in those locations The various forms which the invention may 5 .where only one side of a part to be joined is actake have a feature that is common to all of g v cessible for making a connection. them. Such feature comprises expansible por- An object of the present invention is to make tions, which engage in the wall of the bolt opening a fastener which may be inserted througha bolt in the part. to be joined, or one or more places receiving aperture fromthe same side of the part of the part to be joined, and the tension of the to be joined from which the bolt is intended to be fastener in bolt receiving position by means of 11g introduced, and in addition to make a fastener the expansible characteristics of the metalof which will remain automatically in bolt-receiving which the fastener is made. The expansible feaposition. In this connection, the invention conture enables the fastener to be pushed into posi templates a fastener which may be attached readtion from the same side of the plate upon which sustaining bolt-receiving position upon the article be made in only one perforation in the articles during the time the article is being fitted into that are to be joined together. By varying the place with respect to another article, until the sizes and shape of the expansible portions, the

bolt is passed through the fastener and tightened fastener may be formed for use on parts of varithereagainst. In some instances, the fastener is able thickness, wherefore one size of the fastener 20 intended not only to remain in self-sustaining pois adapted to fit into many different assembles, sition upon the article, but also to act as a supthus obviating the necessity for making a specific porting member for holding the second articlein size for each assembly, as has been the practice assembled position until the bolt is inserted thereof previous forms of self-positioning fasteners.

through. To accomplish these purposes, the Referring now to the drawing in detail, the 25 fastener may assume different forms, as will hereblank as shown in Fig. 1 comprises a strip of sheet inafter be explained. I metal having two or more arms l0 and H; ad-

Referring now to the drawing, one form of jacent the junction of the arms, bolt-thread enfastener is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, gaging means are stamped fromthe metal and in which the fastener may be made; Fig. 2 is a veropposing tongues l2 and I3 which are yieldable tical section taken through the fastener after the with reference to the remaining portion of metal, forming operation has been completed; Fig. 3 is a and which have an opening l4 therebetween for section taken through the fastener and articles receiving a shank of a bolt, or other fastener. .thatare to be joined together, and showing the Ordinarily, the arms In and II are weakened in- 3 position of the fastener after a bolt has been intermediateiy such as by marginal indentations l5. serted therethrough and drawn tightly there- After the-blank has been formed, the arms are against; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a blank with bent out of the blank, and in the same direction, a modified form of bolt-thread engaging means; but opposite to that direction in which the tongues Figs. 5-7 inclusive illustrate a modification wherel2 and [3 are formed as is best shown in Fig. 2, 40

in Fig. 5 is 'a top plan view of the fastener blank; the bending occuring adjacent the innermost ends Fig. 6 is asection through a formed fastener beof the arms so as to provide a receptacle into fore a bolt, is inserted therethrough, and Fig. '1 which the bolt may be inserted. The arms are is a vertical section through the fastener showing formed in such relationship to the size of the be joined at the time the bolt is tightened against mal tendency of the arms to spread is to hold the the fastener; Figs. 8-10 inclusive represent a furfastener in bolt receiving position upon the part. ther modification wherein Fig. 81s a top plan view The flanges l1 adjacent the end of each arm of a blank; Fig. 9 is a section showing the fastener limit the inward movement of the fastenerwith before the bolt is inserted therein, and Fig. 10 is a reference to the part i6. Preferably, prongs i8 50 section of the fastener after the bolt is inserted are struck outwardly from the arms and are therethrough; Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive illustrate a adapted. when the fastener-is pushed through an further modification of the fastener wherein Fig. opening in the supporting part It to be-joined, to 11 is a top plan view of the blank; Fig. 12 is a verengage the opposite face of such part, and to act tical section through a formed fastener before 9. as an abutment for preventing inadvertent displacement of the fastener prior to the insertion of the bolt. When a bolt I9 is inserted through an opening in part 20 to be joined, the shank of the bolt initially is long enough to project through the opening I so that as thebolt is tightened, the arms 80 and l I are collapsed at the weakened portions l5, and the corners are finally pulled downwardly against the inner face of the part It,

the fastener thereby corresponding to an eyelet insofar as its attachment to the part is concerned.

During such tightening operation, the thread engaging portions on the tongues I2, l3 grip the thread of the bolt, and thereby hold it securely in place.

In the modification of Fig. 4, the fastener blank has the same parts as those illustrated in Fig. 1, which are correspondingly made, except for the. fact that the bolt thread engaging portions comprise a circular aperture 2!, which has a slot 22 extending therefrom. The slot thereby provides tongues 23' and 24, which may be bent out of the plane of the blank until the marginal edge of the aperture 2! is moved to conform to the helix of the bolt thread. The

position of the fastener at the time a bolt is inserted therethrough and tightened is similar to that shown in Fig. 3.

The modification of Figs. 5 to 7 is based upon the disclosure in Figs. 1-3 inclusive but difiers from it in that the prongs 30 stamped from the arms 3|, 32 are longer than those indicated in Fig. 2 and are reversely, bent so that upon the passage of the shank of a bolt therethrough, the prongs are forced into contact with the face of the part to be joined.

In the modification of Figs. 8 to inclusive, the fastener is made from a strip of uniform width, wherein the bolt-thread engaging portions 35 are formed near the center of the strip and wherein the arms 36, Fig. 9, extend upwardly therefrom, and are each provided with aflange 31 adjacent the en'ds thereof limiting the inward movement of the fastener as applied to part 38. Each form of fastener may be. pulled toward the supporting part to expand on tightening of the bolt, as described with reference to Fig. 3, the principal difference between the formations of Fig. 2 and Fig. 9 being, that in Fig. 2 the strip is weakened by indentations and the arms are formed in substantially a U-shape, whereas in Fig. 9, the strip is not weakened'by indentations, and the arms 36 are formed substantially circular segmental in shape.

The modification of Figs. 11-13 inclusive emself retaining position bodies a similar fastener, which may be" made from a strip having lateral extensions 40 adjacent'the ends thereof, and bolt-thread engaging means 4| adjacent the midportion thereof. In this form, the end portions or lateral extensions 40 rest upon the front face of the part 42, while the intermediate arm portions 36 are curvedin substantially circular segmental form with the bolt-thread engaging means Miatthe bottom thereof.

Fasteners made in accordance with the present invention may be'made more economically than any collapsing fastener heretofore known, because they may be formed from a single strip of sheet metal, and because the bolt-thread engaging elements are integrally provided from the blank'of which the fastener is made.

A further advantage of the present invention is the fact that the fastener may be so designed to engage the bolt as to provide a theft-proof assembly, such for example, as is desired on certain parts of motor vehicles. This is accomplished by utilizing arms that are so formed that the bolt thread is cut by the fastener, and is therefore rendered incapable of being disengaged by a mere rotation in the reverse direction.

I claim:

A one piece sheetmetal fastener adapted to receive a bolt fastening for securing a member to an apertured part, said fastener comprising a section of sheet metal bent to provide a head and a shank comprising a pair of holding arms spaced by an intermediate bolt receiving portion, said bolt receiving portion having integral, preformed bolt thread engaging elements struck and formed therefrom to project out of the plane thereof, said holding arms being formed intermediate their lengths with means designed for substantial snap fastening engagement in the aperture in said-part to hold said fastener in thereon preparatory to the application of the bolt fastening thereto in securing said member to said part, said integral, preformed bolt thread engaging elements threadedly engaging the bolt fastening to cause a distortion of said holding arms of the sheet metal fastener into anchored engagement with said apertured part upon initial tightening ,of said bolt fastening, said integral preformed bolt thread engaging elements upon full tightening of the bolt being deformed into positive locking engagement with said bolt fastening to prevent unscrewing and accidental removal thereof.

GEORGE'A. TINNERMAN. 

